‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

[Bored Of Education]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

Good grief, talk about projecting other people's opinions. Who has criticised you for Dyslexia

It was a book about football for people who did not understand the game

That being merely your opinion and, based on my experience of people who have read it, it is very wide of the mark. I say this as someone who did not like an element of football tourism that raised its head after the book but the book itself is good

[finney]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

Bored of Education wrote:

Good grief, talk about projecting other people's opinions. Who has criticised you for Dyslexia

It was a book about football for people who did not understand the game

That being merely your opinion and, based on my experience of people who have read it, it is very wide of the mark. I say this as someone who did not like an element of football tourism that raised its head after the book but the book itself is good

Sorry Fever pitch was awful.

As for the Dyslexia i was taking the hand out of myself.
If that is ok.

[Er Liquidatore]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

Fever Pitch was an honest, well written book, which inadvertently brought about an element of football tourism. Frankly I think its effect has been extremely overplayed; Italia '90 and Euro '96 were much bigger factors if you ask me, and you can hardly blame Hornby for the effect his book did or didn't have.

In any case what exactly is wrong with more people going to watch football?

[rick derris]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

for what its worth, I have met Finney and he is a bloody great bloke. Sure his mate is as well

[Er Liquidatore]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

I don't think anyone is suggesting that finney isn't a nice chap. That's not the point.

[finney]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

rick derris wrote:

for what its worth, I have met Finney and he is a bloody great bloke. Sure his mate is as well

Thanks that twenty quid is in the post..

How are ya?

[finney]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

Er Liquidatore wrote:

Fever Pitch was an honest, well written book, which inadvertently brought about an element of football tourism. Frankly I think its effect has been extremely overplayed; Italia '90 and Euro '96 were much bigger factors if you ask me, and you can hardly blame Hornby for the effect his book did or didn't have.

In any case what exactly is wrong with more people going to watch football?

The Problem i had with Fever pitch was that when Arsenal won the league at Anfield he watched it on the telly.
And when he won an award for the book he went to that when Arsenal were at home.

As i say i liked a peoples passion more and there is far better books abouut the game.

[Er Liquidatore]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

The Problem i had with Fever pitch was that when Arsenal won the league at Anfield he watched it on the telly.

I think the reasons for that were pretty well articulated in the book, myself, and I don't see what it has to do with anything.

[EIM]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

There wouldn't have been A People's Passion if it weren't for Fever Pitch. Hornby, more than anyone, changed the way the publishing world looked at football books.

/fronting on nowt

[Ray de Galles]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

Actually, didn't Horrnby miss a League Cup Final replay to accept his first major award for the book? With Michael Palin ( a nominal supporter of their opponent, Sheffield Wednesday ) presenting it to him?

How anyone can take this episode and his choice not to go to Anfield as evidence that the book is "pants" and "awful" or that Hornby "doesn't understand the game" and isn't "a real fan" of "a real club" is beyond me but finney hasn't exactly been rational or convincing on this entire thread.

The more I read of him and the author the less I ever want to hear anything about the book they are endorsing ever again.

[rick derris]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

hornby claimed at the time he agreed to go as it was on a thursday and there was never any football on a thursady. this was before the rearranged cup final that was put on a thursday

[ad hoc]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

There's nobody (possibly in the entire world) who hates Arsenal as much as me, but I thought Fever Pitch was a great book, and the idea that Hornby is not a real fan is ludicrous. Perhaps he's not "real" because he managed to go a whole book without being sexist or racist?

[torres]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

Fever Pitch is a wonderful book pinpointing the massive high's and the depressing low's of actually being a supporter.

Hornby's watching of Cambridge United was a fantastic aside in the book as, if I recall correctly Cambridge were on a record breaking losing run which ended with a win against Newcastle, he was also at Cambridge Uni at the time so at least he was supporting his then local side.

The reason he didn't attend the Championship decider at Anfield was because the game was due to be played almost two month's earlier but due to Hillsborough and Liverpool's FA Cup involvement it was put back to the end of the season so it was sold out month's in advance.

[finney]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

Wow so now i am the Anti christ as i do not like Fever Pitch or nick hornby?
You can not make someone like something they read and did not enjoy as much as they thought they would.
In the same way my goth mates made midnight visits to the grave yards hell for me as i did not like Alien Sex Fiend,god did they go on about it.

To me fever pitch did not change the mind set of people towards football fans which it was taboo to be in the early to late 80's.
Sky came in sexed up the game and even Tony Blair found himself a team to follow.

Infact the books i think helped change the mind set was out of my skin by john barnes which delt with the vile issue of racist fans so well and showed it for what it was.

And i am told that the all in the game book by Eamon Dunphy helped change what people thought about the game.

The most indsulting thing people have said to me is that i may read the daily star and tune into talksport.
For the record i read Private eye,new statesman and the mag of this site.
And will tuen into radio four and five and six easy on the dab that way.

I also grew up with my mum and sister so sexism is also something i hate with a passion and i have daughter who goes to football

But i am sorry i did not get into Fever Pitch or the god awful film.
Or fill the pre set mind of being a talksport daily star fan.
Jim Davidson fan.

But i love my club the game and good debate, if i have failed on that then so be it.

[The Alan Partridge Project]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

Don't take things too personally, matey. I don't think that you're guilty of anything else than an error of misjudgment.

Sexism and racism are not tolerated on this board and the merest hint that a publication might contain either was the kiss of death.

Best let this one lie.

[Sam]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

I'm not sure anyone's called you the anti-Christ, finney. And (without for a second calling you sexist) most sexist people will also have mothers.

finney wrote:

Yes i do think that we are more of a real club than arsenal as since they moved the soul seems to have gone from the ground.

I agree with this though. The atmosphere was never the same at Highbury as back in their old ground in Woolwich. Or so I've heard.

[finney]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

you missed my point i said i lived with my mum and sister and i know that sid the sexist would have had a mum as well.
Put it like this then My mum and sister would have kicked the hell out of me if i ever showed any sign of being that way of mind.

[Erskine Bridges]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

Well 'kinnel. Another thread disappears up a collection of arses for difficult to fathom reasons. Much like that thread about meltdown in Japan corroded into poisoned semantics.

My take, and I could be wrong here is:-

Somebody posted, Finney, I think, a blurb to help sell his pal's book. It was picked up as 'racist' and 'sexist' and the book was assumed to be racist and sexist. Finney, apparently, understandably, embarassed about potential damage his link, not actually his review has done, tries to set the record straight. He gets taken to task again, sometimes quite reasonably by posters explaining why umbrage has been taken and sometimes quite unreasonably by sanctimonious wankers. That's obviously just my opinion but christ some of you want to stand back and take a think.

My main point is that Finney has, quite reasonably, IMO, pointed out that you really shouldn't be making judgements about a book you haven't read. Others have said, disengeniously to a degree I think. well you need to read a good review before you buy a book. Really? A lot of reviews are pish btw. Take a chance now and then why dontcha?

And I think we're all missing the big point here. A guy, Mel Huckridge, I think, has actually written and published a book. Which is, again in my opinion, a major achievement and worthy of some respect in itself. Now the book may be very good, funny, entertaining or pish, racist, sexist and boring. I don't know. I haven't read it. Yet.

I could be wrong but I don't think the author is a professional writer, it seems he is writing because he has a story to tell and a passion to share. That won't by itself make his book good but I would have thought that this site, above most footie sites would understand that desire and would appreciate the effort and commitment required to produce a book. Any book. Especially one about football.

Instead we tear into any perceived, er, non pc, er, content.

So, Mr Finney, where can I purchase a copy of your chum's tome? And I will produce a, hopefully, impartial review after reading it. For what that might be worth.

[Erskine Bridges]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

Oh and as a PS and I've said it before on here. Fever Pitch is boring pish. Again just my opinion. He's written better stuff but that book wasn't worth the hype it got.

[imp]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

Well when it comes to fucking sanctimony, you've just landed the golden bell end there, Erskine.

Finney linked to a review in which the writer celebrates the fact that the book is racist and sexist and is written in "the language of the pub". Many opined that the book sounds shite. It's really that straightforward. If someone waves a book in your face and says, "Hey, you should read this, it's sexist and racist and it sounds like it was written by that fat drunken cunt over there at the bar who's been sounding off for the past two hours", would you really think, "Yep, that sounds like it's worth 12 quid"?

Enjoy the book.

[Erskine Bridges]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

No IMP, the writer hasn't really said anything. The reviewer has said certain things that the site has reacted to. I don't think that the writer shouldn't be hung for the reviewers opinion.

I doubt very much you'll disagree with that.

[finney]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

You can get it via this link on ebay.
And please do a review and they can pick on you and not me even if i did not write the review in the first.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Grounds-divorce-Book-watching-football-2009-10-/180639952884?pt=Non_Fiction&hash=item2a0efaeff4

[Ray de Galles]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

Surely Erskine has a good point in that we should all buy every book that's ever been published in case it turns out to be worthwhile?

Either that or he's a Clarksonesque bullshitter, I can't quite work out which.

[finney]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

Imp why are you going out of youre way to be a bin lid?
He did not say it was racist or sexist and if it was i would not promote it simple as that.
I do not and would never back such a thing.
Now get that into youre nut will ya

[finney]

‘Grounds For Divorce’ By Mel Huckridge

Erskine Bridges wrote:

Oh and as a PS and I've said it before on here. Fever Pitch is boring pish. Again just my opinion. He's written better stuff but that book wasn't worth the hype it got.

Agree much better books about the game out there